The Importance of Being Online

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Oct 30, 2009

LAS VEGAS — One thing I've learned this week has been the importance of having in Internet connection. For a conference on technology where everyone is emphasizing connectivity, this one has had connectivity problems of its own.

At the Sands Conference Center on Sunday, there was no free wireless Internet and a distinct shortage of Ethernet connections in the press room. And I couldn't even get a decent signal with my EVDO card. I considered going back over there yesterday, but the Internet problems convinced me not to. I probably wasn't the only one covering CES to feel that way, and that means that the folks exhibiting over there were suffering because the infrastructure was inadequate. (I heard later that they had fixed the problem, more or less, but by then it was too late).

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Meanwhile, in the Popular Mechanics booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center we were having problems of our own. After much fussing with IP settings, it turned out that the problem was a bad cable, which was eventually fixed. But it kept the PM staff (except for me, since fortunately my EVDO card worked fine at the LVCC) frustrated, with lots of interesting video and reports that they couldn't manage to upload.

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Then I went to the Digital Experience event with another PM staffer, we were shut out—they couldn't find our preregistration, and they couldn't go online to check it because... their Internet service was down. (I have to say, my digital experience there wasn't so good.)

In my (digital) experience, Internet access at conferences is treated like a frill—something that can be overcharged for, or allowed to fail, without it being a big deal. But I think that nowadays it's more like a vital utility. A conference where the Internet connections are down isn't quite as bad as one where the power goes out, or the bathrooms don't work, but it's close. Conference planners take note. —Glenn Reynolds

Click here for all of Instapundit Glenn Reynolds' blogging for Popular Mechanics from CES. Plus, sign up for daily e-mail updates from Las Vegas.